62 m. ago ‘Supremely satisfying’: why Strictly Ballroom is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers explaining their favourite comfort watches is a recommendation of Baz Luhrmann’s irresistible audience hitStuck on the wall above the desk where I write is a Post-it note, which I look at for inspiration whenever I feel that the chapter I’m working on needs some extra oomph. If you’ve seen Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 directorial debut, the words on it – Scott’s knee-slide – will be immediately and ecstatically familiar. If not, allow me to introduce you to what is, for my money, one of the most purely enjoyable films ever made.Scott Hastings, the son of two retired ballroom dancers who now run a teaching studio, is a future champion. Or he would be, if he didn’t keep deviating from the stiff steps laid down by the Australian Dance Federation’s Barry Fife (a Trumpian ogre in a toupee) and throwing in his own moves. When his dancing partner dumps him after he goes rogue during a competition, Fran, the studio’s wallflower, offers to take o...

Politics

62 m. ago Fade to grey: as forests are cut down, butterflies are losing their colours

The insects’ brilliant hues evolved in lush ecosystems to help them survive. Now they are becoming more muted to adapt to degraded landscapes – and they are not the only things dulling downPhotographs by Roberto García-RoaThe world is becoming less colourful. For butterflies, bold and bright wings once meant survival, helping them attract mates and hide from prey. But a new research project suggests that as humans replace rich tropical forests with monochrome, the colour of other creatures is leaching away.“The colours on a butterfly’s wings are not trivial – they have been designed over millions of years,” says researcher and photographer Roberto García-Roa, who is part of a project in Brazil documenting how habitat loss is bleaching the natural world of colour.Amiga arnaca found in a eucalyptus plantation, where scientists observed butterflies were less colourful than in native forests Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Prosecutors appeal for longer sentence for Erin Patterson in mushroom poisoning murders

Australian prosecutors have filed an appeal for a longer guaranteed prison term for poisonous mushroom cook Erin Patterson

Events

3 h. ago Police in Australia seize guns from dozens of owners who hold views rejecting government authority

Police in Western Australia have seized guns and suspended or cancelled permits for dozens of gun owners who are linked to sovereign citizen ideologies, which reject government authority

Politics

3 h. ago Strictly Come Dancing's Dianne Buswell 'can't deal' after getting baby gift from co

Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell has been partnered with Stefan Dennis, best known for playing Paul Robinson in Australian soap opera Neighbours

Economics

5 h. ago Going extinct ‘right under our noses’: the quiet plight of Australia’s rarest bird of prey

Restricted now to the tropical north, the mysterious red goshawk is fast disappearing as a result of climate change and habitat lossAustralian bird of the year 2025: vote now for your favouriteSee more bird of the year contentSetting up a base in the tallest tree, usually around a creek somewhere, the red goshawk will hunt beneath the canopy – chasing down speed demons such as the rainbow lorikeet and plucking them out of the air.The soft thrum of their deep, powerful, metre-wide wings can be heard from the ground as they accelerate, before they silently swoop and bank like some feathered fighter jet. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago All parties should unite to tackle Scotland's child poverty plight

Record View says serious investment is also needed.

Politics

11 h. ago Narrow stereotypes of Arab Australians ignore the complexity of who we are | Oula Ghannoum, Nouha Francis and Mariam Maatooq

Essays, novels, poems and plays can do what headlines can’t. They weave human lives into forms that invite understanding, reminding us that migration is part of Australia’s shared storyTime and time again, the story of the Arab migrant appears in the media in narrow and damaging ways: victims in their homelands, shootings in the suburbs, demonstrations in the streets, arrests linked to terrorism or crime. These images have become shorthand for “Arabness” in Australia.What is rarely seen is the complexity of who we are. Occasionally, a “success story” surfaces, but it is framed as an exception rather than part of a broader, vibrant community. For most Australians, Arab voices remain invisible. The everyday lives of Arab Australians, growing up between languages, caring for family, excelling in business, academia or the arts, barely register in public imagination. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago Man arrested after at least 50 shots fired from Sydney unit injure bystanders, hit buildings and cars

Sixteen people treated for injuries and firearms seized after shooting in Croydon Park in city’s inner west on Sunday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 60-year-old man has been arrested after at least one person was shot, numerous people were injured and multiple cars were fired upon by a gunman in Sydney’s inner west.As many as 100 shots rang out between 7.45pm and 9.30pm on Sunday night in Croydon Park. Continue reading...

Events

12 h. ago Man arrested after at least 50 shots fired from Sydney flat injure bystanders and hit buildings and cars

Sixteen people treated for injuries and firearms seized after shooting in Croydon Park in city’s inner west on Sunday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 60-year-old man has been arrested after at least one person was shot, numerous people were injured and multiple cars were fired upon by a gunman in Sydney’s inner west.As many as 100 shots rang out between 7.45pm and 9.30pm on Sunday night in Croydon Park. Continue reading...

Events

12 h. ago Man arrested after about 50 shots fired from Sydney flat injure bystanders and hit buildings and cars

Sixteen people treated for injuries and firearms seized after shooting in Croydon Park in city’s inner west on Sunday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 60-year-old man has been arrested after at least one person was shot, numerous people were injured and multiple cars were fired upon by a gunman in Sydney’s inner west.As many as 100 shots rang out between 7.45pm and 9.30pm on Sunday night in Croydon Park. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Bird strike prompts Air Canada flight to London to return to Halifax

Bird strike prompts Air Canada flight to London to return to Halifax  CBC

Events

15 h. ago Postecoglou enters talks intent on keeping job at Nottingham Forest

Defeat at Newcastle is his seventh match without a win‘You have to be up for the fight and the struggle’Ange Postecoglou is determined to convince Nottingham Forest’s board to retain faith in his ­managerial ­philosophy when he holds talks with the club’s owner, Evangelos ­Marinakis, this week.The Australian was in defiant, almost jocular form after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle. It extended the manager’s winless run to seven games since he succeeded Nuno Espírito Santo last month. Yet Postecoglou, who unusually started with a back five, detected signs of progress as he prepared for vital talks with directors to discuss the future. “Yes, it’s a lost cause,” he said, sarcastically. “I see it as an exciting opportunity. You have to be up for the fight and the struggle. I’d be silly to be sitting here at the age of 60 if I lacked self-belief or fight. Even in the schoolyard I picked fights with people that beat me up.” Continue reading...

Politics

16 h. ago Ange Postecoglou battles to avoid record set by 'worst manager of all time' as Nottingham Forest 'consider sacking'

The Australian could be the new holder of the most unwanted of record

Events

17 h. ago Guillemots washed up dead on Scots shore test positive for bird flu

The birds were discovered dead near the Scottish Seabird Centre at the harbour in North Berwick, East Lothian.

Events

18 h. ago Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2025: Daryz catches hot favourite Minnie Hauk to win thriller – as it happened

Daryz dazzled for Arc success in the famous Aga Khan colours but Japan’s wait for glory goes onPrix de l’Abbaye (1.50pm) preview A single-figure stall is something of a prerequisite in this Group One sprint, and the draw gods have been kind to Henry Dwyer’s splendid mare, Asfoora, as she attempts to become the first Australian-trained winner in France. The Nunthorpe winner will leave stall three, while one of the big local hopes, recent course-and-distance winner Monteille, has also drawn well in one. The home team has a famously poor record in this contest, however, with just four wins so far this century, and Frost At Dawn (stall four) andMgheera (in five) are just two among several British-trained runners with a big chance. Mhgeera, meanwhile, also has form with plenty of cut in the ground, and gives Ed Walker a serious chance to follow up last year’s win in this race with Makarova.SELECTION: MGHEERA Continue reading...

Sport

18 h. ago 'Dire wolves' brought back from extinction celebrate their first birthday

Dire wolves have been extinct for 12,000 years, but were brought back to life thanks to a genetic engineering company, who have revealed their small breed are over one year old

Politics

18 h. ago Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2025: Daryz catches hot favourite Minnie Hauk to win thriller – live

Action at Longchamp and the big race (3.05pm BST) Sign up for The Recap | Email TonyPrix de l’Abbaye (1.50pm) preview A single-figure stall is something of a prerequisite in this Group One sprint, and the draw gods have been kind to Henry Dwyer’s splendid mare, Asfoora, as she attempts to become the first Australian-trained winner in France. The Nunthorpe winner will leave stall three, while one of the big local hopes, recent course-and-distance winner Monteille, has also drawn well in one. The home team has a famously poor record in this contest, however, with just four wins so far this century, and Frost At Dawn (stall four) andMgheera (in five) are just two among several British-trained runners with a big chance. Mhgeera, meanwhile, also has form with plenty of cut in the ground, and gives Ed Walker a serious chance to follow up last year’s win in this race with Makarova.SELECTION: MGHEERA Continue reading...

Sport

19 h. ago Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2025: Daryz wins after late charge for the line – live reaction

Action at Longchamp and the big race (3.05pm BST) Sign up for The Recap | Email TonyPrix de l’Abbaye (1.50pm) preview A single-figure stall is something of a prerequisite in this Group One sprint, and the draw gods have been kind to Henry Dwyer’s splendid mare, Asfoora, as she attempts to become the first Australian-trained winner in France. The Nunthorpe winner will leave stall three, while one of the big local hopes, recent course-and-distance winner Monteille, has also drawn well in one. The home team has a famously poor record in this contest, however, with just four wins so far this century, and Frost At Dawn (stall four) andMgheera (in five) are just two among several British-trained runners with a big chance. Mhgeera, meanwhile, also has form with plenty of cut in the ground, and gives Ed Walker a serious chance to follow up last year’s win in this race with Makarova.SELECTION: MGHEERA Continue reading...

Sport

20 h. ago Australian bird of the year: an avian popularity contest with a deeper purpose

Voting is now open in the 2025 poll, but as you cast your ballot, here are some critical numbers to bear in mindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSee more Australian bird of the year contentBird of the year is an antidote to an increasingly grim news cycle, and a celebration of Australia’s extraordinary and unique native wildlife. But it’s also a numbers game.Taking history as a guide, more than 300,000 votes could be lodged over nine days, starting at 6am AEDT on 6 October, as people from across the globe vote for their favourite Australian bird species for 2025. Continue reading...

Culture